The instant invention relates to athletic equipment and more particularly to a novel and amusing ball striking device which can be effectively embodied in various configurations, including a baseball bat and a golf club.
It has been found that persons of various ages derive substantial amusement from active participation in games such as baseball and golf. It has been further found that participants of informal simulated baseball and golf activities frequently prefer to play with relatively soft balls which, in many cases, are easier to strike and retrieve. This has been found to be particularly true with players involved in baseball-like activities who do not have proper catching gloves, batting helmets, etc or players involved in back yard golf activities. Accordingly, a variety of types of modified baseball and golf equipment which are adapted for use with relatively soft balls, including soft foam rubber balls, have been developed over the years.
In addition, a variety of different techniques have been utilized for providing increased weight to various portions of ball striking devices. For example, baseball bats containing moveable weighted elements which are centrifugally moved outwardly during swinging actions have been heretofore available. However, most of the heretofore available bats of this type have been primarily intended for use in practice or warm-up exercises rather than for hitting balls. In any event, reference is made to the Shroyer, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 1,499,128; Middlekauf, U.S. Pat. No. 1,611,858; Herkimer, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,099,521; Merola, U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,030; Piazza, U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,801; Lende, U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,724; Reizer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,496; Bratt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,816; Piccini, U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,113 and Ament, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,273 as representing the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware. However, since these references fail to suggest a ball striking device, which is intended for use in striking a ball and which includes a transparent portion containing a fluid material, they are believed to be of only general interest with respect to the subject invention.
The instant invention provides a novel ball striking device comprising a fluid-filled portion which provides both improved striking characteristics and unique and amusing visual effects. More specifically, the device of the subject invention comprises a ball striking element including a striking portion which is adapted for striking a ball and a handle portion extending from the striking portion. A portion of the ball striking element is constructed from a transparent material, and it has a closed hollow cavity form therein, and the device further comprises a fluid material in the cavity. The fluid material only partially fills the cavity, and it is visible from the exterior of the device through the transparent portion of the ball striking element to provide an amusing visual effect during swinging of the device. The ball striking element preferably comprises a hollow transparent shell which defines the cavity in the ball striking element and which extends substantially the entire length of the ball striking element. The transparent shell preferably forms the striking portion, and it preferably further forms a hollow tubular inner core of the handle portion. The hollow shell is preferably constructed from a colored, but clear, transparent plastic material in a sufficiently durable configuration to enable the striking portion to be utilized for striking a ball during the course of game play without causing damage to the ball striking element. The device preferably further comprises an opaque hand-grip on the inner core of the handle portion for enabling a user to more effectively grip the handle portion of the device. In one embodiment the fluid in the cavity of the device preferably comprises colored water, and the transparent plastic shell is preferably also colored the same color as the water. Further, in one embodiment, the ball striking element is configured to resemble a conventional baseball bat. In this embodiment, the device still further includes an end cap on the outer end of the hitting portion and a fixed upper ring for separating the handle portion from the hitting portion and for retaining the hand-grip in position on the handle portion. In another embodiment, the fluid in the device comprises a mixture of a relatively viscous fluid with a lubricant so that the fluid moves as a unit of relatively viscous material without sticking to the inner walls of the cavity. In still another embodiment the ball striking element is configured to resemble a conventional golf club, and in this case, the fluid can either comprise water or a more viscous fluid.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an amusing ball striking device which is adapted for use in striking relatively soft foam balls.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an amusing ball striking device comprising an outer shell and a liquid which is flowable in a cavity in the outer shell.
An even still further object of the instant invention is to provide a ball striking device comprising a transparent shell and a colored liquid which is flowable in a cavity in the shell.